Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains to give keynote address at Great Lakes Economic Forum

With 19 of the top 100 universities in the world, 24.1 per cent and 72.1 per cent of R&D funding in the U.S. and Canada respectively, and a GDP of US$5.8 trillion, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region is one of the world’s leading hubs of technological innovation and cross-border trade.

As shifting economic forces like manufacturing automation and the renegotiation of international trade agreements destabilize established markets, it is more crucial than ever for business leaders and policy-makers to encourage international, business and academic collaboration in the region.

“The partnerships we have forged in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region have allowed it to become a global leader in technological innovation and one of the most important centers for knowledge exchange, trade and manufacturing,” said the Honourable Navdeep Bains, PC, MP Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. “By investing in the continued evolution and development of the Region, we’re ensuring that we’re ready to face the challenges of a changing global economic and technological landscape.”

The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region, which consists of the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces bordering the lakes, has long supported a cluster of traded and manufacturing industries that have formed the backbone of both countries’ manufacturing sectors. However, recent changes in global demands, technology and trade policy have forced the Region to diversify and lean more heavily on emerging industries, like services and green technologies. “Advances in fields such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and cyber threat mitigation are presenting historically unprecedented opportunity for the region to have meaningful global impact. The best and brightest no longer come from anywhere, they come from everywhere,” said Dun & Bradstreet SVP/Chief Data Scientist Dr. Anthony Scriffignano.

“This is a turning point in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region’s history. The innovation and collaboration we encourage today will lay the groundwork for the region’s ongoing prosperity and leadership,” said Mark Fisher, Council of the Great Lakes Region’s President and CEO. “We’re very excited to have Minister Bains discussing these critical issues at the Great Lakes Economic Forum later this month.” Minister Bains will give the keynote address at the third Great Lakes Economic Forum (GLEF), which will be held in Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario from April 24 – 26. The GLEF is an opportunity for business leaders, policy makers and academics from both sides of the border to come together and exchange ideas on how to best support established and emerging industries as the region evolves.

To register or learn more about speaking and sponsorship opportunities, please visit our registration page at www.greatlakeseconomicforum.com.

Media Contact:

Ray McIlroy
Kaiser Lachance Communications
Phone: 647.680.8316

Email: Ray.McIlroy@KaiserLachance.com

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